Golf bag with club spacing features and method of making the same

ABSTRACT

A golf bag having a body with a separator structure at an upper end that defines a plurality of openings to a plurality of specifically disposed club compartments to receive club shafts, and a method of forming the same. The separator structure defines a width between the openings configured to prevent contact between a club head of each club and the shaft of adjacent clubs. In some configurations, each compartment is fully separated from another. Each club compartment defines a terminal point upon which the club rests within the compartment. The terminal points are configured to offset the club heads of adjacent clubs within the golf bag. In some configurations, a plurality of club receptacles can be provided on one or both of the pair of flat sides.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is a continuation of, and claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/873,770, filed on Jan.17, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated hereinin its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure generally relates to golf bags and golf clubs andmore particularly to a golf bag body and to techniques and structuresfor improved club dividers and club compartments for efficientorganization of the clubs and for eliminating club clanking when theclubs are stored in the bag and are being transported in the bag in adriven cart, push-cart, or carried over the shoulder.

Description of Related Art

The following characteristics and attributes describe a typical golf bagcommercially available in the sporting goods stores or sports section ofa store. Golf bags are generally tubular in shape. They have twoopposite ends. The top end consists of multiple compartments withopenings that extend downward toward the bottom of the bag. Golf clubsare inserted into these compartments for storage. Generally, thesecompartments or stalls are fourteen in number so to correspond with themaximum number of clubs a golfer can carry in his or her bag, which isalso fourteen. The top surface is typically not in a horizontal or flatorientation (relative to the sidewall of the bag), having a circularappearance that slants towards the front side of the bag where it tapersoff. The body structure of many golf bags also tends to taper in at theneck. The closed bottom end is the base, which constitutes the platformon which the grip ends of the clubs come to rest in the golf bag whenthe bag is in a standing position. Thus, each compartment is of the samedepth. Golf bags typically have four sides: front side, back side, leftside and a right side.

The front, the left and the right sides typically have protrudingpockets for storing different kinds of articles such as golf balls,tees, gloves, clothing and other personal effects. The two sides whenviewed from the back look like flaps or wings. These protruding sideswith their numerous pockets give golf bags a typical bulky appearance.The back side is generally straight in its structure. The stands, forsupporting the bag when in a tilted position, and the shoulder straps,for carrying the bag, are usually situated in the back side.

These characteristics and the attributes described above pose severalusage problems and inconveniences to golfers. These problems andinconveniences are described in the paragraphs below. One or moreembodiments of the disclosure may, but do not necessarily, address oneor more of the described problems or inconveniences.

1) The dividers, which are generally designed for 14 clubs in the bag,causes the clubs to cluster. This cluster then poses the negativeconsequence of causing the club heads to make contact and hit eachother. The club head of one club can also hit the shaft of thesurrounding clubs. In turn, the contact between clubs produces clanking,and damage to the clubs by way of chips and scratches. Clanking is not adesirable noise, and chips and scratches devalue a club. Some golferselect to invest in club head covers in an effort to overcome thisproblem.

2) The 14 club compartments are generally not partitioned off all theway to the bottom of the bag. Consequently, this causes the clubs toentangle in the bag. This entanglement in turn makes it difficult for agolfer to retrieve and replace his or her clubs. This experience can bevery aggravating—especially when one's round is not going as smoothly ashoped. In particular, when one is already frustrated with a bad shot andattempts to shove a club back in its stall, but the other clubs are inthe way due to entanglement.

3) Due to lack of space to conveniently space out the 14 clubs in thebag, typical golf bag top surfaces lack any form of club markers andclub identification. This creates the problem of poor club arrangementsin the bag and poor orderliness in the club organization in the bag.Once again, the golfer is negatively affected because he or shecontinually fumbles, trying to figure out from which stall he or shejust pulled the club that was just played. In the end, clubs getmisplaced from their original positions in the bag. The experience isaggravating and, thus, stressful and energy draining, causing a loss offocus and, consequently, possibly increasing the chances of a poor roundof golf.

4) The numerous pockets, just like the unnecessary 14 club silos,mislead golfers into putting all sorts of items and articles in theirbags. Many of such items and articles, the golfer never even remembersis in the bag, let alone makes use of Consequently, not only do thesepockets give golf bags a less than fashionable, bulky appearance, butthey could also be promoting injury risks that could come from golfershauling around on his or her shoulders golf bags that weigh one or morepounds too many.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods and devices described herein have innovativeaspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsiblefor their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of theclaims, some of the advantageous features will now be summarized.

While some of the prior art attempts to address club clanking achievedsome success, the clubs in such prior art references are only able toavoid contact, let alone avoid club clanking or club chattering, whenthe clubs are motionless—that is, secured in a fixed position. Bycontrast, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure reduces andeliminates club contact and club clanking or chatter while allowing theclubs to move in any direction, including 360 degree swivel, when storedin the bag during transportation, thus maintaining the traditional feelof a golf bag. Moreover, one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure also reduces and eliminates clustering of the clubs, whichthe prior art bags were unable to achieve.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure preferably will achieve one ormore (including all) of the following: a) make it easy and fast toaccess (e.g., retrieval and replacement) the clubs in the bag, b) makeit easy to efficiently organize and arrange the clubs in the bag, c)make it easy for a golfer to quickly identify a specific club and toquickly replace it in its original spot in the bag, d) efficiently spaceout the clubs to prevent them from making contact, thereby eliminateclanking noise and protect the clubs from chips and scratches, e)efficiently space out the clubs to eliminate clustering while at thesame time allow a golfer to carry enough clubs in the bag, f) helpreduce injury risk and stress through the ease of use the aboveadvantages afford the user of the bag, h) contribute in changing theperception among golfers about how many clubs they carry in their bags,allowing them to carry less clubs in their bags, which means carryingthe clubs they actually need and the clubs that work for their game, andi) make the golf bag lighter in weight, less bulky and, therefore, morefashionable. With respect to item h), there are some “standard” clubs ina 14-club bag that are rarely used in many rounds of golf by the averagegolfer. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limitedby the provision for less clubs in the bag. One or more embodiments ofthe present disclosure can still provide all the above advantages whilemaking it possible to carry 14 clubs in the bag simply by increasing thedimension and size of the bag.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include one or more ofthe following features: 1) flat and even (e.g., horizontal) top surface,2) wide and thick separators, 3) relatively flat sides of the bag body,4) external wedge storage, 5) multiple terminal point for the clubsinside the bag, and 6) multiple insert bases that define the terminalpoints.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure achieves an improvedgolf bag having some or all of the benefits described herein throughsome or all of the features described below. However, such featuresshould not be considered as required, necessary or critical.

1. PROGRESSIVE RACK TECHNIQUE, PRT™ or PROGRESSIVE RACK TECHNOLOGY, PRT™with MULTIPLE TERMINAL POINTS™ is the Applicant's marketing terminologythat identifies a golf bag incorporating the innovative clubcompartments with varying depths disclosed herein for arranging andorganizing clubs keeps neighboring clubs spaced apart in a heightdirection and therefore eliminates contact between clubs during360-degree movement when they are stored in the bag duringtransportation in the cart or carried over the shoulder. For thisreason, in some configurations, the various terminal points are definedby multiple base-inserts providing a resting surface to receive the gripends of the clubs when the clubs are stored in the bag. In someconfigurations, the individual silos are also fully compartmentalizedand enclosed all around and extending through the terminal surface, thuscompletely eliminating entanglements between clubs within the bag.

2. DUAL PURPOSE WIDE SEPARATORS™ or DUAL PURPOSE WIDE RIM SILO™ is theApplicant's marketing terminology that refers to a golf bagincorporating the innovative spaced-apart club compartments with clubidentifiers disclosed herein for organizing and arranging clubs. Such anarrangement departs from the norm and widens and thickens the lips orthe dividers of the compartments or club silos while narrowing theopening of the club silos. With width measurement equal to or greaterthan the length of the club head the end result ensures, 1) totalelimination of contacts between clubs in a 360-degree swivel orside-to-side movements during transportation, and 2) serve as surfacefor club identification markers which could be in any form, such as aname plate or engraved text.

3. Flat side bodies refers to the arrangement of some configurations ofthe present golf bag that eliminates the protruding and flapping sidepockets and replaces them with a flat surface or relatively flatsurface. OUTSIDE WEDGE™ is the Applicant's marketing terminology thatrefers a golf bag incorporating the innovative feature comprising anexternal storage system exclusively devoted to the wedges (e.g., LobWedge, Sand Wedge and Pitching Wedge) which players employ regularlyduring approach shots and shots made from around the greens. The flatside bodies provide room for the external wedge storage. The outsidestorage has the purpose of compensating for the lost top space devotedto the widened or thickened divider arrangement described above andfurther herein. The external wedge storage features result in efficientorganization that creates a dedicated storage location for the wedgesfor faster access, and last but not least, style and fashion. The sidebodies therefore can be made of materials strong enough to support thewedges. In some configurations, an inner pocket can be inserted andaccessed by way of, for example, a zipper.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provides techniquesand methods for remedying the shortcomings of the prior art attributesand characteristics mentioned hereinabove. Thus, a golf bag havingfeatures, aspects and advantages of one or more embodiments disclosedherein reduces or eliminates clubs from making contact with each otherand thereby reduces or eliminates club clanking when the clubs arestored in the bag during transportation.

An embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an elongated,substantially octagonal top section forming the point of reception ofthe clubs into the bag. The octagonal shape of the top section of thegolf bag can be an integral functional element of one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure for achieving one or more benefitsof the present disclosure.

In some configurations, the top section includes, for example, 7-11,8-10 or 9 openings forming the stalls, silos or compartments serving asthe club receptacles. In some configurations, an additional compartmentmay be provided for the putter. Preferably, the openings are smaller indiameter than the ones found in conventional prior art golf bags whilestill being able to receive standard club shafts, and they are made soto compensate for the size of the separators or dividers. The stalls,silos or compartments are portioned off by separators extendingdownwards in bag towards the base and, preferably, terminating at thebase. The separators or dividers are significantly wider and thickerthan those found in prior art golf bags. The thickness and the widewidth of the separators prevent the clubs from making contact with eachother in whichever direction they swivel or move in the bag duringtransportation, thus reducing or eliminating clanking noise and alsoprevent chips and scratches to the clubs caused through the impact ofsuch contact.

The thickness and width of the dividers or separators also provides asurface for including club markers or identifiers for easyidentification and for faster access, thus serving a dual functionpurpose: prevent club contact, and mark and identify clubs. Thecompartment's rims and the dividers, including the putter well top,preferably are flush in a flat and even structuring. It can be said,therefore, that the top surface of the golf bag of the presentembodiment is flat or substantially flat. The octagonal shape of the topsurface, the smaller openings of the club compartments, the wide andthick separators, the flush and even surface of the ensemble featuresseparately or in any combination can define integral functional elementsof an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some configurations, eachof the aforementioned elements are included in the golf bag. Otherpossible features of the first embodiment and functions thereof willbecome apparent from the detailed description and drawings below.

In some configurations, the golf club bag provides a club arrangementthat appears in an orderly and convenient manner wherein the driver iscentrally located for standout access, and it stands clear above all thesurrounding clubs, where the driver and the surrounding clubs couldswivel in a 360-degree turn and not make contact with one another. Thereare thus three storage compartment sections (see, for example, FIG. 4),one on the right, the middle and the left, running in parallel line fromthe front of the bag to the back. The golf bag is not limited to such aconfiguration and it is only used as one of several arrangements capableof providing for club arrangements. For instance, the clubs can bearranged in a Right Slant (RS) formation wherein the Long clubs (e.g.,the driver, 2-iron and 3-wood for instance) are stored on the right, themid clubs (e.g., 5-iron, 6-iron and 7-iron) in the middle, and finallythe short clubs (e.g., 8-iron, 9-iron) are stored on the left, creatinga slant flow from right to left. A Left Slant (LS) arrangement would bethe opposite.

In some configurations, at least one of and, preferably, the two sidesof the bag are flat. Preferably, the sides are made of a relativelysturdy material, which can be any material of cloth or fiber (which canbe reinforced) apparent to those skilled in the art. The flat surfacesof one or both sides can be used for storage or one or more clubs, suchas for the wedges (e.g. Pitching wedge, Sand wedge, Lob wedge). Thisexternal storage feature can compensate for the top surface space usedto accommodate the wide club opening separators and thus achieve thebeneficial goal of eliminating club contact and reducing or eliminatingclub clanking. The flat surface sides address shortcomings of the priorart, which include multiple protruding pockets that create bulkiness,weight, made storing the prior art bags into any space cumbersome, andgave them a poor fashion appearance. One or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure remedies these shortcomings and provides for betteruse of the golf bag side body by way of the exterior wedge storage.

In some configurations, the wedge housing includes three receptacles,which, for example, can be in the form of pouches running in threeparallel vertical lines. In some configurations, the receptacles are ofequal length. The pouches or receptacles can be made of, for example,sturdy luxury leather for fashion appeal. In some configurations, a hookattached to the body of the bag to receive the club head and hold it ina fixed position so that the club head does not move (e.g., rotate)during transportation. A nameplate or marker can be affixed to the bodyof pouch and bearing the identification of a particular wedge for easyand fast access. The identification names can also be embroidered on thepouch as opposed to on a nameplate affixed to the pouch.

In some configurations, the golf club bag provides a storage technique,which can be marketed under the term PROGRESSIVE RACK TECHNIQUE, whichensures that the club heads of all three wedges maintain the same heightwhen they are stored in the bag, even when they are actually ofdifferent sizes in length. This is made possible by creating varyingterminal points for each wedge in their individual pouches. Thedifferent terminal points can be made by way of sewing or other suitablearrangements apparent to those skilled in the art.

In an alternative arrangement, the wedge pouches can be configured in analternate arrangement in which the upper ends of the pouches are locatedat varying heights. In such a configuration, the wedge heads havevarying heights and so do their terminal points, which in this case isdefined by the actual base of their individual pouches. The storagearrangement starts with the Lob wedge and progresses downwards to thePitching wedge.

In some configurations, an alternative receptacle of the wedge housingis a cavity as opposed to pouch. The cavity has a depth sufficient toreceive a portion or an entirety of the designated club. In someconfigurations, the depth can be about half to one inch deep into thebody of the bag wherein the wedge is inserted into the cavity and restssnuggly. That is, the cavity can extend inwardly from the exteriorsurface of the side of the golf bag. Alternatively, the cavity can beformed by a structure that is attached to or extends outward from theside surface of the golf bag. Thus, the cavity can be an inward orinternal cavity or an external cavity relative to the side surface ofthe golf bag. Preferably, a cavity is provided for each wedge (or otherclub) desired to be stored on the side of the bag. The progressivearrangement of the cavities, and thus the wedges, can stay the same asthe pouch described above.

In some configurations, a pocket is inserted into the flat sides,accessible for example by way of a zipper. However, preferably, thepocket is configured in such manner that should minimize or prevent anykind of protrusion of the side of the golf bag.

In some configurations, the external wedge storage has a definitefunctional purpose that is an integral part of the top sectionconfiguration. In particular, the top section with the flat top surface,along with the wide separators and other features as described above aremade possible, are made more practical or benefit from the externalwedge storage.

In some configurations, the front of the bag is slightly flat withinserted pockets to avoid or minimize any protrusion. The bottom end canbe tapered in to accommodate storage on a motorized cart. In someconfigurations, the back of the bag runs in a straight line from top tobottom. In other words, the back of the back is flat or substantiallyflat. The stands and the strap for carrying the bag, are located in theback.

In some configurations, multiple base inserts conforming to the innershape of the bag are used to provide varying resting platforms for eachclub stored in the bag. Each base insert has a hole or holes to let aclub through to a lower base insert. The grip end of the clubs come torest on one of the inserts when they are stored in the bag. The grip endof any particular club may pass through one of the holes in one or moreof the base inserts. In some configurations, the base inserts wheninstalled in the bag run from on the front side to the backside, thusproviding a sturdy structural support to the bag.

In some configurations, a golf bag includes a golf bag body having afront wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls. At least the pair ofside walls is substantially flat. The golf bag body has an interiorspace. A top surface of the golf bag body is flat and perpendicular tothe front, rear and pair of side walls. A plurality of separators islocated at an upper end of the golf bag body and defines a plurality ofopenings to respective ones of a plurality of club compartments. Each ofthe separators has a width configured to prevent contact between eachclub head and shafts of adjacent clubs. A plurality of terminal surfacesis each associated with one of the plurality of compartments and definesa bottom end of the compartment. The plurality of terminal surfaces isconfigured to create an offset in height of each club head and adjacentclub heads.

In some configurations, the golf bag also includes a plurality of clubreceptacles on one or both of the pair of side walls.

In some configurations, each of the club receptacles is one of a cavityextending into the body of the golf bag, a cavity raised relative to anouter surface of the golf bag and a pocket attached to the outer surfaceof the golf bag.

In some configurations, the club compartments are fully separated fromone another.

In some configurations, a golf bag for reducing or eliminating contactbetween golf clubs within the golf bag includes a golf bag body havingan elongate octagonal shape in a top view. The golf bag body comprises aflat top surface, a pair of flat sides and defines an interior space. Aplurality of club openings are defined by the top surface, eachconfigured to receive a designated golf club. The golf bag includes aplurality of terminal structures. Each of the plurality of club openingsis associated with one of the plurality of terminal structures such thatthe golf bag defines a club storage depth for each of the plurality ofclub openings. The club storage depth for a particular one of theplurality of club openings is a linear distance between the particularclub opening and the associated terminal structure. A plurality ofexternal club receptacles are provided on one or both of the pair offlat sides and located external of the interior space of the golf bagbody. The golf bag includes a plurality of different club storagedepths, the club storage depths configured such that for each clubopening a club head of the designated club positioned in the clubopening is positioned at a different height than and is spaced-apart ina height direction from the club heads of designated clubs positioned inneighboring club openings. A separation between the plurality of clubopenings is configured such that contact is prevented between the clubheads of clubs having relatively lower club head heights and the clubshafts of neighboring clubs having relatively higher club head heights.

In some configurations, one or more inner pockets are provided withinthe flat sides of the golf body.

In some configurations, a strap is attached to a rear side of the golfbag body for carrying the bag.

In some configurations, two utility compartments are located adjacent afront side of the golf bag on opposing sides of the golf bag.

In some configurations, a putter well is located adjacent a front sideof the golf bag, the putter well having a raised collar configured tolimit rotational movement of a head of a putter positioned within theputter well.

In some configurations, a plurality of club identification markers areprovided, each associated with a respective one of the plurality of clubreceptacles and club openings.

In some configurations, a plurality of retention elements are provided,each associated with a respective one of the plurality of clubreceptacles and configured to limit or prevent movement of a club headof the club received within the club receptacle.

In some configurations, each of the club receptacles is one of a cavityextending into the body of the golf bag, a cavity raised relative to anouter surface of the golf bag and a pocket attached to the outer surfaceof the golf bag.

In some configurations, a golf bag includes a golf bag body having afront wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls. At least one of thepair of side walls is substantially flat. The golf bag body has aninterior space. A top surface of the golf bag body is flat andperpendicular to the front, rear and pair of side walls. A plurality ofclub receptacles is located on the at least one substantially flat sidewall configured for storage of an associated plurality of clubs outsideof the interior space of the golf bag body. A plurality of separators islocated at least at an upper end of the golf bag body and defines aplurality of openings to respective ones of a plurality of clubcompartments. A plurality of terminal surfaces are provided, each of theplurality of terminal surfaces associated with a different one of theplurality of compartments and defining a bottom end of the compartment.The plurality of terminal surfaces is configured to provide theplurality of club compartments with varying depths. A combination of awidth of each of the separators and an offset in a height of theplurality of terminal surfaces is selected to prevent contact between aclub head of a club received in each of the plurality of clubcompartments and a club head or a club shaft of clubs received inadjacent club compartments by spacing the clubs sufficiently apart fromone another and staggering a height of the club head of each clubrelative to the club heads of adjacent clubs.

In some configurations, a plurality of club identification markers areprovided, each associated with a respective one of the plurality of clubreceptacles and compartments and configured to associate a particularclub with a particular one of the plurality of club receptacles andcompartments.

In some configurations, a putter well is located adjacent the front wallof the golf bag, the putter well having a raised collar configured tolimit rotational movement of a club head of a putter positioned withinthe putter well.

In some configurations, a pair of utility compartments is locatedadjacent the front wall of the of the golf bag, with each one of thepair of utility compartments located on opposing sides of the putterwell.

In some configurations, each of the club receptacles is a cavity thatextends either inwardly from or outwardly from an outer surface of thebody of the golf bag.

In some configurations, each of the club receptacles is a pocketattached to an outer surface of the golf bag.

In some configurations, the plurality of club receptacles comprisesthree receptacles configured to receive three wedge clubs.

In some configurations, a plurality of retention elements is provided,each associated with a respective one of the plurality of clubreceptacles and configured to limit or prevent movement of a club headof the club received within the club receptacle.

In some configurations, one or more inner pockets are provided withinand are accessible from the exterior of one or more of the front wall,the rear wall and the pair of side walls.

In some configurations, a strap is attached along the rear wall forcarrying the golf bag.

The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications,generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail. Consequently,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Inaddition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and the featuresdescribed hereinabove, further aspects, embodiments, and features willbecome apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will becomemore fully apparent from the following description and appended claims,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding thatthese drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with thedisclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, thedisclosure will be described with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a golf bag having certain features of thepresent disclosure, including an external club (wedge) storage feature.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a golf bag similar to the golf bag of FIG. 1,but having an alternative external club (wedge) storage feature.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a golf bag similar to the golf bags of FIGS. 1and 2, but having yet another alternative external club (wedge) storagefeature.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the golf bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the top of the golf bag inFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of another portion of the top of the golf bagin FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the golf bag of FIG. 1 with the wedges storedwithin the external club storage feature illustrated in dashed line.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of the golf bag of FIG. 1illustrating internal features that provide multiple termination pointswithin the different club compartments.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of clubs stored within the golf bag of FIG. 8illustrating the spacing between the club heads and club shafts thatprevents contact between clubs.

FIG. 10 is another enlarged view of clubs stored within the golf bag ofFIG. 8 illustrating spacing between the clubs.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a portion of the golf bag of FIG. 8illustrating that contact is prevented even when the clubs move todifferent positions within the club compartment.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the golf bag similar to FIG. 11 with the clubsin different positions.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view of a golf bag illustrating internalinsert base features that provide multiple termination points within thedifferent club compartments.

FIG. 14 illustrates several insert bases separate from the golf bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of systems, components and methods of assembly andmanufacture will now be described with reference to the accompanyingfigures, wherein like numerals refer to like or similar elementsthroughout. Although several embodiments, examples and illustrations aredisclosed below, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in theart that the inventions described herein extends beyond the specificallydisclosed embodiments, examples and illustrations, and can include otheruses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. The terminology used in the description presented herein is notintended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simplybecause it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description ofcertain specific embodiments of the inventions. In addition, embodimentsof the inventions can comprise several novel features and no singlefeature is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or isessential to practicing the inventions herein described.

Certain terminology may be used in the following description for thepurpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. Forexample, terms such as “above” and “below” refer to directions in thedrawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front,” “back,”“left,” “right,” “rear,” and “side” describe the orientation and/orlocation of portions of the components or elements within a consistentbut arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to thetext and the associated drawings describing the components or elementsunder discussion. Moreover, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,”and so on may be used to describe separate components. Such terminologymay include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof,and words of similar import.

A portion or all of the golf club bag embodiments disclosed herein keepgolf clubs stored in the bag clear of each other and thus reduce oreliminate club clanking during transportation. The embodiments disclosedalso provide efficient arrangement of the clubs in the bag and thusreduce or eliminate cluster, make club storage, identification andaccess very easy and fast. These and other benefits described in detailin the following description are achieved, in at least some embodiments,by one or more (including all) specific, multiple core features orelements described herein. These features include 1) multiple terminalbase inserts or multiple terminal points or locations for the clubsstored in the golf bag, 2) dividers wider and thicker than prior artsize and that effectively separates the clubs and prevents contactbetween clubs in any direction the clubs may move in their individualcompartments during transportation, and also serve as mounting surfacefor nameplates or tags or engraved symbols identifying each club andtheir position in the golf bag of invention, 3) a specific storage areafor the wedges, which preferably is external of the main interiorchamber of the golf bag, to allow a player to carry sufficient golfclubs in the golf bag while at the same time reducing or eliminatingclusters, preventing club contacts while stored in the bag and beingtransported, and thus remedying the shortcomings of prior art that doesthe opposite, 4) flat sides of the golf bag body, which not only makesthe external club storage possible or practical, but also reduces oreliminates protruding pockets to provide for a lighter golf bag and amore fashionable golf bag. The flat sides incorporate an internal pocketaccessed by way of zipper to maintain the flat configuration of golf bagside body.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a golf bag 100 incorporating the top section,the wide separators and a offset club head technique keeping the clubsapart and thus preventing them from making contact with each other toavoid clanking noise according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Theflat side incorporating the exterior wedge housing is also shown.

In the illustrated arrangement, the golf bag 100 incorporates apreferred embodiment of a top section 100B, which has a flush and evensurface bearing multiple compartments through which clubs 25, 30A-30Care received in the golf bag 100. Preferably, the upper surface of thetop section 100B is horizontal or substantially horizontal when the golfbag 100 is sitting upright on a level surface. In other words, the uppersurface of the top section 100B preferably is perpendicular to the sidesand/or longitudinal axis of the golf bag 100. The top surface of thegolf bag 100 can be parallel to the bottom surface of the base 100C ofthe golf bag 100. The illustrated golf bag 100 also incorporatesmultiple wide separators or dividers 5. Also incorporated in the flushsurface of top section 100B is the putter well located in the frontsection of the bag, which can include a raised collar 65 to hold theputter head in place in a fixed or limited rotational position about anaxis of the putter shaft.

In some configurations, the golf bag 100 includes a flat side body 100Aincorporating the external club (wedge) housing units 10. Preferably,the flat side body 100A is planar or substantially planar along asignificant portion of the side body 100A, which can contain or includethe portion occupied by the wedge housing units 10. The side body 100Ais not necessarily exactly planar, but has a substantially flat shape incontrast to the curved sidewall of a typical cylindrical golf bag. Suchan arrangement provides more internal space for club storage to the golfbag 100 and provides an advantageous location for the wedge housingunits 10. As described above, the flat side body 100A can incorporate aninternal pocket 200 accessed by way of zipper 202 to maintain the flatconfiguration of golf bag side body 100A.

The base 100C is shown, for supporting golf bag frame when in standingposition as is known in the art. The base 100C can define the lower orbottom surface of the golf bag 100. A shoulder strap 101 for carryingthe bag is also shown.

The illustrated configuration of the top section 100B surface coupledwith the club arrangement is such that the driver 25, which is one ofthe most used clubs in the bag, is centered in the middle and standswell clear above all the clubs next to it. Other clubs of differentsizes 30A-30C are stored in the individual compartments and are shownclearly apart from each other and not making contact. The heads of clubs30C and 30D, for instance, stand clear of those of the taller clubs nextto them. Each club in the golf bag 100 extends inside the bag 100 downto its allocated terminal base (FIG. 8) where their grips—the oppositeend of golf club—come to rest in the bag 100. These varying terminalpoints achieved by the multiple individual base inserts or terminationlocations help produce the club arrangement and separation as shown inthe top section 100B of the golf bag 100. Thus, in any which directionthe clubs move, shift position or swivel while stored in the bag, thedual function wide separators 5 in conjunction with the multipleterminal points keeping the heads clear of each other, the clubs willnot make contact with each other and thereby reduce or eliminateclanking.

In prior art golf bags, there are generally fourteen (14) compartmentsdesigned with the intention for players to carry fourteen (14) golfclubs in the bag. To accommodate so many clubs in the small top surfaceof prior art bags, space is by obvious logic sacrificed. Consequently,prior art bags create cluster which causes clubs to bang into each otherwhen stored in the bag, causing unpleasant noise and damage to theclubs. In a presently preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, atleast some of the prior art shortcomings are overcome or addressed byutilizing a flat body side 100A of the golf bag 100 to install exteriorstorage for the wedges, thus compensating for the spaces sacrificed inthe top section 100B to accommodate the wide separators. By so doing,the golf bag 100 of FIG. 1 thus allows a player to still carrysufficient number of clubs in his or her bag while, at the same time,avoiding cluster, club chatter and the resulting club damage. Theexterior wedge storage as shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, threepockets 10 spaced out and arranged on the same plane. The pockets 10 canbe made of any durable material, such as leather or textile, as deemedappropriate to those skilled in the art. As discussed herein, othersuitable receptacles for the external clubs can also be used, such assnap-fit or other types of recesses.

The wedges, e.g., Lob (lofted or L-Wedge) 15A, Sand 15B and Pitching15C, are inserted into their individual pockets 10. Although the clubsvary in actual length, they appear to have the same height when storedin their individual pockets as shown. In other words, the club heads arelocated at the same height along a longitudinal axis of the golf bag100. This is achieved by varying the depth of the pockets 10, which inthis embodiment is accomplished by providing terminal points 750 a, 750b (in phantom) and 750 c for each pocket 10 at different locations alonga longitudinal axis of the golf bag 100. In the illustrated arrangement,the terminal points 750 a-c are created by stitching, molding or anothersuitable arrangement. In some configurations, the terminal points 750are located within an interior of the pockets 10 and constructed in away to avoid any visible outline of the club's shaft and grip on theoutside wall of the pocket, such as using a stiff material that does notdeform to a significant extent or providing a sufficient amount of spacewithin the pocket 10. A plurality of retention arrangements, such asclips or hooks 20A-20C (or other suitable arrangements), is affixed tothe body of the bag 100 to hold the club heads in place and prevent themfrom moving around during transportation. For example, the retentionarrangements 20A-20C can be configured to hold the club heads against orclose to the outer surface of the side body 100A. In someconfigurations, each pocket 10 can measure about 2-5 inches, about 3-4inches, about 3.5 inches or 3.4 inches wide. Such a measurement cancorrespond to or can be greater than the normal length of a wedge clubhead. In some configurations, each pocket 10 or receptacle has an opentop into which the club can be inserted into the pocket/receptacle andstored. The width helps to keep the three wedge heads apart when storedin their individual pockets. The pockets can be separated by, forexample, about 2-3 inches at the club head end. The pockets can bespaced below an upper end of the bag by about 3-5 inches, about 4-5inches or about 4.5 inches.

For easy identification, access and ensuring that the wedges arereturned to their original pockets after use, identifiers, such as nametags 35A-35C, are affixed to the pockets 10 as shown. The name plates ortags 35A-35C can be made of any material such as leather, plastic orcloth. The identification marks 35A-35C can also be embroidered onto thesurface of the pockets 10.

FIG. 2 is a view of a golf bag 100 having an alternate configuration ofthe exterior wedge housing depicted in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, thewedge pouches or pockets 10 are arranged for style, with differentheights for each wedge in the bag, and grips coming to rest at thebottom of each assigned pocket 10. Progressive rack techniques ofvarying terminal points for the wedges are achieved solely by thearrangement of the pockets 10.

In the illustrated arrangement, the pockets 10 are positioned indiagonal progression across the flat side body 100A of the golf bag 100.In this arrangement, the varying terminal points 750A, 750B, 750C forthe wedges correspond to the length of each pocket 10. In other words,the bottom ends of the pockets 10 define the terminal points 750A, 750B,750C and the bottom ends of the pockets 10 can be offset relative to thelongitudinal axis of the golf bag 100. This arrangement gives the bag afashionable and appealing look. It is apparent that the exterior wedgehousing can be arranged in several ways without diminishing theirfunctionality, which in at least some configurations is to free storagespaces in the top section or internal space of the bag 100 toaccommodate the dual function wide dividers, thus reducing oreliminating cluster, preventing clubs from making contact and thusbanish clanking and reducing club damage, in addition to one or more ofthe other benefits as disclosed hereinabove.

FIG. 3 illustrates a golf bag 100 having another alternativeconfiguration and structuring of the exterior wedge housing shown inFIG. 1. In this configuration, the exterior wedge housing comprises acavity in which each of the wedges is inserted to hold them in place.

In the arrangement of FIG. 3, instead of pockets 10 as shown in FIGS. 1and 2, the external club (wedge) housing structure comprises cavities40A-40C that extend into the wall of the flat side 100A of the bag 100and in which the shafts and the heads of the wedges 15A-15C are receivedin storage. The wedges 15A-15C fit in (e.g., snap in) and rest snugglywithin the cavities 40A-40C. Such an arrangement can eliminate the needfor a hooks 20A or other retention arrangements to hold the club headsin place (to inhibit or prevent rotation) as cavities 40A-40C aredesigned in such a way to easily receive and hold in the clubs duringtransportation (e.g., a snap-fit arrangement), and designed with accessportions or to otherwise easily yield to allow club retrieval from thecavities 40A-40C. The grip ends of the clubs can come to rest at thebottom of the cavities 40A-40C for added support and to hold the clubsin place. The top end of the cavities can be open or closed dependingon, for example, whether club access or club security is prioritized.

Desired appearance can also determine some or all of the shape orfeatures of the cavities 40A-40C. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, thecavities 40A-40C are close-ended and, as such, a convenient gap can beprovided between the toe of a wedge stored in the cavity 40A-40C and thelip of the cavity 40A-40C. A golfer using the golf bag 100 would simplyinsert one or a few fingers in the gap to very easily retrieve thewedge. When installed in a raised configuration (extending outward fromthe side 100A of the bag 100—not shown), the cavities 40A-40C can haveclosed bottom but open-ended top. In this configuration, the cavities40A-40C can be configured such that the toes of the wedges can extendoutward from the cavity 40A-40C for a sufficient distance (e.g., aboutan inch or two) to allow a golfer using the golf bag 100 to easily grabthe wedge of his or her choice by the toe and effortlessly remove itfrom the cavity 40A-40C.

FIGS. 4-6 are plan views of the top of the golf club bag 100 shown inFIG. 1. FIGS. 4-6 illustrate the top section 100B, which comprisesmultiple compartments, each configured to receive a designated golfclub. FIGS. 4-6 also illustrate the wide separators and the offsetheights of the clubs, which prevent the clubs from making contact andthus reduces or eliminates clanking noise. In the illustratedarrangement, the driver is centrally position in the golf bag. Clubidentification tags or markers can be installed on the surface of thedual function wide separators and next to the club being identified. Inthe illustrated configuration, the putter well is flanked by twoprovisional utility spaces. FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged views of the dualfunction wide separators performing their dual role of separating theclubs in the bag as well as serving as a mounting surface for the clubidentification tags or nameplate.

As described, FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of the entire top section100B of the golf bag 100 illustrating different components including,for example, wide separators 5, multiple receptacles or compartments 55in which golf clubs 25, 70 are inserted for storage, club identificationmarkers 50A and 50B, putter well 60 with a raised collar 65 for holdingthe putter 60B in place and from making contact with surrounding clubswhen it is stored in the bag 100, and provisional utility spaces 45A and45B. As described above, preferably, the entire surface of the octagonalshaped top section of the illustrated golf bag 100 is flush and flat.That is, the top surface 100B of the golf bag 100 lies in a single planeor substantially lies in a single plane perpendicular to a longitudinalaxis of the bag 100 or parallel with the bottom surface. However, inother arrangements, only portions of the top surface 100B lie in asingle plane, such as the outer periphery. Other portions can be raisedor lowered relative to the outer periphery (or other planar portion ofthe top surface 100B). In some configurations, a depth (front to backdimension) of the top section 100B is between about 11 inches and about17.5 inches and a width (side to side dimension) of the top section isbetween about 9.5 inches and about 12.5 inches.

In the illustrated arrangement, the storage compartments are grouped inthree vertical (relative to the orientation in FIG. 4) columns orsections—left, middle and right—running from the front of the golf bag100 to the back. The front of the golf bag 100 is at the bottom and theback of the golf bag 100 is at the top in FIG. 4. The driver 25 in theconfiguration and arrangement shown in the drawing is centered in themiddle for quick and convenient access. The driver 25 generally is thesecond most used club after the putter 60B. It is pertinent, however, toemphasize that the configuration and arrangement in the illustratedembodiment is by no means limiting. The illustrated bag 100 has a topsurface that depicts a total of nine clubs stored in the bag 100 andspaced out and not clustered and, therefore, avoiding clanking. This ismade possible by the wide separators 5, which serve as barriers to theclubs each time they move in any direction when resting in the variouscompartments 55 during transportation. In the illustrated arrangement,each of the left, middle and right sections includes three openings orcompartments 55 configured to receive a designated club. The openings orcompartments 55 can be substantially aligned in rows from left to rightor from one side to the other of the golf bag body.

In the illustrated configuration, the terminal point of the centercompartment 55 is relatively higher than the compartments 55 on eachside, above and below the center compartment 55. Thus, the centercompartment 55 has a shorter height or club storage depth than theheights or storage depths of the compartments 55 on each side, above andbelow the center compartment 55. Similarly, each corner compartment 55has a relatively higher terminal point—or a shorter height or clubstorage depth—than the side compartments 55 between the cornercompartments 55. The heights of the terminal points or the club storagedepths can vary between the “relatively higher” compartments 55 and the“relatively lower” compartments 55. That is, the “relatively higher”compartments 55 can have different heights or depths from one anotherand/or the “relatively lower” compartments 55 can have different heightsor depths from one another—as discussed with reference to FIGS. 8 and13. The terminal points or club storage depths can be selected in viewof the lengths of the designated clubs for each compartment 55 to ensurevertical offset of neighboring club heads to avoid contact betweenneighboring club heads.

The wide separators 5 also serve as a mounting surface for the clubidentification markers 50A and 50B. The two enlarged partial views 103,104 of FIGS. 5 and 6 further illustrate the role of the wide separators5 in the illustrated embodiment. In the top enlarged partial view 103 ofFIG. 5, the club 70 in the bag 100 is clearly identified as a 4 iron bythe tag 50A, with the arrow 50B pointing towards the 4 iron. Similarly,in the second enlarged partial view 104 of FIG. 6, the club 25 centrallylocated in the bag 100 is clearly identified as the driver 25 by the twomarkers, wherein the nameplate of tag 50A spells out the word driver,while the arrow 50B points to the driver 25.

When resting in the putter well 60, the head of the putter 60B cansometimes tilt either to the left or to the right when it is caused tomove in the bag 100 during transportation. Therefore, the purpose of thecollar 65 is to allow it to do so without interfering or making contactwith the surrounding clubs. The collar 65 can limit rotational movementof the putter head, such as by defining end points of a range of motion.Finally, the two provisional utility spaces 45A and 45B, which may havea top lid or be left open, are for storing such convenient equipment asball retrievers and umbrellas.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a golf bag 100 showing the exterior wedgehousing pockets or pouches 35A-35C. This view shows the progressive racktechnique employed to produce uniform height for the club heads of thewedges despite their size (length) differences. In this embodiment, theterminal point of one or more of the pouches 35A-35C is an internalstitching work, not an insert. However, any suitable arrangement can beused. Also shown in this view are retention elements or hooks that keepthe wedge heads from moving around (e.g., away from the side of the golfbag) during transportation.

In FIG. 7, one configuration of the external wedge housing isillustrated with certain internal structures illustrated in dashed linesto show the wedges 15A-15C as they are stored in their individualpockets 35A-35C. The illustrated housing comprises three separatepockets 35A-35C affixed to the flat side 100A of the bag 100 andarranged in parallel, a few inches or so apart and of equal externalsize. The top ends are open for receiving the wedges 15A-15C while thebottom ends are closed or sealed. However, preferably, each wedge15A-15C rests on a different terminal point 80A-80C in its designatedpocket 35A-35C. The Lob Wedge 15A comes to rest at a point 80A a firstdistance (e.g., a few inches) from the bottom of its assigned pocket35A. The Sand Wedge 15B rests at lower terminal point 80B a seconddistance from the bottom of the pocket 35B, which is less than the firstdistance. In the illustrated arrangement, the Pitching Wedge 15C restsat the bottom of its assigned pocket 35C. In other words, the bottom ofthe pocket 35C can define the terminal point 80C. The terminal points80A and 80B for the Lob and Sand Wedges 15A and 15B, respectively, maybe defined by a stitch work, but such an arrangement is not limiting.Any suitable arrangement for defining the terminal points 80A-80C can beused. The terminal points 80A-80C can be configured such that the headsof the clubs 15A-15C are located at approximately the same heightrelative to a vertical or longitudinal axis of the golf bag 100. Thus,the terminal points 80A-80C can take into account the various lengths(or differences in length) of the clubs 15A-15C and can be locatedaccordingly.

Located at the top of each storage pocket are retention arrangements,such as clips or hooks 20A-20C, affixed to the body of the bag 100. Theretention arrangements help keep the heads of the wedges 15A-15C inplace and restrain, inhibit or prevent them from moving around (e.g.,rotating or moving away from the body of the bag 100) duringtransportation in a cart or when carried over the shoulder. Theretention arrangements 20A-20C can substantially prevent movement or cansimply limit the range of motion of the club heads to within asatisfactory range of motion.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the multiple basesforming varying terminal points for the clubs and the dual function wideseparators cooperate to keep the club heads from touching each other andthe club head of one club impacting the shaft of another to preventclanking and damage to the clubs. FIGS. 9 and 10 are enlarged partialviews of the top section of a first embodiment that illustrate theutilitarian function of the dual function wide separators and theprogressive rack technique in keeping the clubs apart even when theymove and shift positions when stored in the bag and being transported.In FIG. 9, it is illustrated that the driver is able to swivel 360degrees while staying clear of the two surrounding clubs. In FIG. 10, itis illustrated that a club is able to shift position and face the clubstored next to it in the bag while maintaining a gap between its headand the shaft of the other club next to it.

With reference to FIG. 8, an example of the interior structure of thegolf bag 100, which provides for multiple terminal points, is shown. Insome configurations, the interior structure being configured to providemultiple terminal points is a core feature in accomplishing the benefitsthat one or more of the disclosed embodiments sets out to achieve asdisclosed hereinabove. Notably, such benefits include inhibiting orpreventing the club head of a club from making contact with the clubheads or shafts of the other surrounding clubs when stored in the bagand carried around the golf course either by a motorized or push cart,or when it is carried by a player over his shoulder, and thereby as aresult reducing or eliminating club clanking and damage. However, inother arrangements, the multiple terminal points feature may be omittedwhile other disclosed features are used in any desired combination.

With reference to FIGS. 8-10, the club 910 is inserted in itscompartment 55 and it extends downwards, going through the holes 751 inthe insert bases 750A and 750B, and coming to rest at its terminal pointon the insert base 750C. The dual function wide separator 5 serves as abarrier between the compartment 55 for the club 910 and the stall orcompartment 55 of the club 940 and thereby prevents the club 910 frommaking contact with the club 940. The club 940 is also shown extendingdownwards and terminating at its allotted point on the insert base 750E.Similarly, the club 25 comes to rest at a terminal point on the insertbase 750A, the club 900 comes to rest at a terminal point of the insertbase the club 920 comes to rest at a terminal point on the insert base750B, and the club 930 comes to rest at a terminal point on the insertbase 750F. The terminal points that vary in height or position relativeto a longitudinal axis of the golf bag 100 produce the progression inthe club arrangements inside the bag 100. That is, the heights of thevarious terminal points can be staggered in such a manner to avoidlocating the club heads at the same relative height, or at least theclub heads of clubs that are in close proximity to one another and,thus, have a potential to contact one another. Thus, some club heads maybe located at the same height, but preferably those club heads areremote from one another in the bag 100 with one or more clubs positionedtherebetween.

As apparent in FIG. 8, and as illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 9and 10, if the clubs shift position and move to face in the directionopposite that which they appear in the figure, the dual function wideseparators are configured to prevent contact in the same manner it doesin the illustrated position. That is, the dual function wide separatorsare configured to prevent contact between clubs no matter the positionof the clubs within their respective compartments 55 or the rotationalposition of the clubs. In some configurations, inside the bag there willbe no entanglement of the shafts and the grips because each compartment55 is closed or completely separated from top surface to or toward thebase of the golf bag by a plurality of partitions 800, thus avoidingcontact between clubs all the way from the top surface to the base ofthe golf bag when they are stored inside the bag. Such an arrangementcan ease replacement of clubs into the bag 100 by preventing contact ofthe grip of the club being replaced with the grips of other clubs in thebag 100, which can occur in prior art bags. By design, the grips usuallyhave good frictional properties and do not slide well against oneanother. The individual compartments 55 may not be entirely sealed fromone another. That is, openings (e.g., vent holes or weight-reductionsholes) may be present in the partitions 800, but preferably thepartitions are configured to maintain each club in its designatedcompartment 55 from the top of the bag 100 to the bottom of the bag 100.

As illustrated, in some configurations, a plurality of insert bases areprovided for creating terminal points of different heights (relative tothe vertical or longitudinal axis of the bag 100) on which the grip endof the clubs come to rest in the bag 100. For instance, the driver 25 isresting on its base 750A, while the 9 iron 930 rests on a lower base750F. It becomes apparent, therefore, that the view of the club headssticking out in the top surface of the golf bag 100 as shown, is theproduct of the multiple and varying terminal points, which in somearrangements can be defined by the insert bases which are stacked in thebag 100 to provide a plurality of optional terminal points or terminalheights, which allow a progressive arrangement of the terminal heightsdepending on which insert base is configured to provide the terminalpoint for any particular club compartment. The end result is anefficient separation of the clubs to inhibit or, preferably, preventcontact when they move or shift position in any direction when stored intheir individual compartments in the bag 100 during transportation. Thisis made evident in the two enlarged partial views 104 and 105 of FIGS. 9and 10 of the top section 100B of the bag. As the first enlarged view104 illustrates, the driver 25 resting on a different terminal pointstands clear of the 2 iron 910 and the 3 iron 900, which are stored nextto the driver 25 and which terminate at two different and, for example,lower insert bases. As a result, the driver 25 can shift position rightto left, vice versa, or swivel 360 degrees without its head makingcontact with the heads of the 2 iron 910 and the 3 iron 900. Similarly,if the 2 iron 910 and the 3 iron 900 shift in similar situation, thedifferent heights of the club heads as a result of the differentterminal points (taking into account differences in club length) incombination with the dual function wide separators inhibit or preventthe clubs 900, 910 from contacting the driver 25.

In the second enlarged view 105, the 9 iron 930 shifts position and nowis facing the club 920, but as a result of the varying terminal points750F and 750B and the dual function wide separator demarcating theirindividual stalls 55, the head of the 9 iron 930 and that of the club920 stay clear of each other. In addition, the head of the 9 iron 930stays clear from touching the shaft of the club 920. This prevents theclub from clustering and thus producing the unpleasant clanking sound, adeficiency to which prior art golf bags are prone.

FIG. 11 is side view of the golf bag 100 depicting the role of the dualfunction wide separators 5 in conjunction with the progressive racktechnique system (FIG. 8) to keep the clubs constantly apart when theyare stored in the bag 100 and when they shift positions within the bag100 during transportation. As shown in FIG. 11, a club 940 has shiftedfrom its original position (solid line) from left to right and in asecond position 940B (dashed line) is facing a club 970 in the bag 100.The progressive rack technique system helps elevate the club 940 andbrings its head clear above that of the club 970 situated below, thuspreventing the two club heads from banging into each other, while thedual function wide separator 5 keeps the head of the club 970 frommaking contact with the shaft of the club 940. A similar situation isapparent in the relationship and the dynamics between the club 960 andthe club 950, and between club 950 and club 940.

FIG. 12 illustrates the bag 100 of FIG. 11 with the clubs in differentpositions in FIG. 12 relative to FIG. 11. In FIG. 12, the position ofthe club 940 seen in FIG. 11 has shifted to the right (940B), while theboth the club 960 and the club 950 have now moved and are facing in anew direction. As apparent, the heads of the clubs are prevented frombumping into each other and the heads of the lower clubs equally areprevented from hitting the shaft of the taller clubs stored in the nextcompartment. Preferably, this includes prevention of hitting when theclubs move in complete 360 degrees. To achieve such an efficient result,the illustrated bag 100 utilizes the measurement system where the widthof the separators is equal to or greater than the normal length of aclub head when measured from its heel to its toe. In someconfigurations, this length is approximately 3-5 inches, with most ironsbeing between about 3.3-3.7 inches or about 3.5 inches. Putters can bebetween about 4-5 inches or about 4.4 or 4.5 inches. A driver can beabout 5 inches and other woods about 4 inches. This, in turn,corresponds to the gap—toe to toe, toe to shaft—between two clubs placednext to each other in the bag. At least some of the illustratedembodiments, therefore, provide protection with the dual function wideseparators being sized by virtue of the intended club-headsize/separator width ratio. The height of a club head can be betweenabout 2-5 inches, with irons typically being between about 2-2.5 inchesand woods being larger, such as about 2.5-5 inches. This height, alongwith the lengths of the clubs, can be considered in determining thethickness or separation of the insert bases 750/760. The lengths of theclubs can vary between about 36-46 inches, for example, with the ironsbeing on the lower end of the range and the woods being on the higherend of the range.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a golf baghaving golf clubs stored in their respective compartments and descendingdownwards into the bag, their grips terminating and coming to rest atvarying points on the insert bases in the bag by a progressivetechnique. The dual function wide separators working in conjunction withthe progressive rack technique to achieve the efficient result ofkeeping the clubs from making contact with each other, as shown, duringtransportation and thus reducing or eliminating clanking noise and clubdamage. This view also shows multiple insert bases, including holes inthem to allow club shafts to pass through, arranged in racks or stacks.The holes have been enlarged for illustration purposes. The depictiondoes not constitute actual size. The full length separators are notshown for clarity.

With continued reference to FIG. 13, the golf bag 100 comprises multipleinsert bases 760 in a stacked arrangement one above the other. Eachinsert base has one or more holes 761 to let clubs pass through theinsert base 760. The insert bases 760 extend horizontally from one sideof the interior of the bag 100 to the other and from a front side to arear side. In other words, in some configurations, the insert bases 760can be coextensive with an interior of the bag 100 in a plane that isperpendicular to a vertical or longitudinal axis of the bag 100. Asdescribed above, the insert bases 760 provide multiple and varyingterminal points for the clubs and thus create the progressive manner inwhich the clubs come to rest inside the bag. This progressive racktechnique in turn influences the way the club heads appear or arepositioned on the top section of the bag as shown. It is apparent thatthe club heads stand clear of each other (or at least neighboring clubs)and thus contact between them is prevented. The dual function wideseparators 5 then keeps the club heads of lower placed clubs fromtouching the shaft of the club above them. In so doing, the golf bagremedies the clustering and the unpleasant clanking noise associatedwith prior art golf bags.

FIG. 14 is a stand-alone view of several insert bases 760 with hole orholes 761 embodying the progressive rack technique. The size of theinserts 760 and holes 761 and the quantity depicted in the drawing arefor illustration purposes and do not represent actual size or thedefinitive quantity inserted in the golf bag.

The insert bases 760 can fill the interior of the golf bag 100 in widthand depth directions and can have a thickness or separation selected toprovide the desired vertical offset between clubs. In someconfigurations, the thickness or separation is approximately equal to,somewhat less or somewhat greater than the height of the heads of theclub(s) that are intended to rest on or pass through the insert base760. That is, the thickness or separation of the insert base 760 (alongwith consideration of length differences between the clubs) willdetermine the offset between a club that rests on the top surface of theinsert base 760 and a club that passes through the opening 761 in theinsert base 760 and rests immediately below the insert base 760 (eitheron the bottom of the bag 100 or on the next lower insert base 760).Thus, the thickness or separation of the insert base 760 can be selectedaccordingly.

Furthermore, the thicknesses or separations of the insert bases 760within a single golf bag 100 can vary relative to one another dependingon the club head height(s) and the club lengths of the various clubsdesired to be accommodated within the interior of the golf bag 100.Instead of individual insert bases 760 that are stacked within the golfbag 100 in a modular fashion, a single (integrated or unitary) structurecan be used to create the several desired terminal points for a portionor all of the clubs that are intended to be accommodated within the bag100. Such a structure can also include the partitions between theindividual club compartments within the bag 100 and, in some cases, thedual function wide separators. In addition, other suitable arrangementscan be utilized to create the desired terminal points, partitions andseparators within the bag 100. For example, the partitions andseparators can be constructed as a single (integrated or unitary)structure. Individual insert bases can be provided for each club cavitycreated by the partitions. The individual insert bases can have athickness or separation (a vertical or height dimension relative to thebag 100) selected to position the club head of the relevant club asdesired, taking into consideration the position of the neighboring clubsto achieve the offset of the heads of neighboring clubs.

Conclusion

It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may bemade to the herein-described embodiments, the elements of which are tobe understood as being among other acceptable examples. All suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included herein withinthe scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.Moreover, any of the steps described herein can be performedsimultaneously or in an order different from the steps as orderedherein. Moreover, as should be apparent, the features and attributes ofthe specific embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in differentways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scopeof the present disclosure.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orstates. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

Moreover, the following terminology may have been used herein. Thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to anitem includes reference to one or more items. The term “ones” refers toone, two, or more, and generally applies to the selection of some or allof a quantity. The term “plurality” refers to two or more of an item.The term “about” or “approximately” means that quantities, dimensions,sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics neednot be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, asdesired, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, roundingoff, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those ofskill in the art. The term “substantially” means that the recitedcharacteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, butthat deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances,measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factorsknown to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do notpreclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format.It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely forconvenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly toinclude not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limitsof the range, but also interpreted to include all of the individualnumerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if eachnumerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration,a numerical range of “about 1 to 5” should be interpreted to include notonly the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but shouldalso be interpreted to also include individual values and sub-rangeswithin the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range areindividual values such as 2, 3 and 4 and sub-ranges such as “about 1 toabout 3,” “about 2 to about 4” and “about 3 to about 5,” “1 to 3,” “2 to4,” “3 to 5,” etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting onlyone numerical value (e.g., “greater than about 1”) and should applyregardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics beingdescribed. A plurality of items may be presented in a common list forconvenience. However, these lists should be construed as though eachmember of the list is individually identified as a separate and uniquemember. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as ade facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based ontheir presentation in a common group without indications to thecontrary. Furthermore, where the terms “and” and “or” are used inconjunction with a list of items, they are to be interpreted broadly, inthat any one or more of the listed items may be used alone or incombination with other listed items. The term “alternatively” refers toselection of one of two or more alternatives, and is not intended tolimit the selection to only those listed alternatives or to only one ofthe listed alternatives at a time, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf bag for reducing or eliminating contactbetween golf clubs within the golf bag, the golf bag comprising: a golfbag body having an elongate octagonal shape in a top view, wherein thegolf bag body comprises a flat top surface, a pair of flat sides anddefines an interior space; a plurality of club openings defined by thetop surface, each configured to receive a designated golf club; aplurality of terminal structures, wherein each of the plurality of clubopenings is associated with one of the plurality of terminal structuressuch that the golf bag defines a club storage depth for each of theplurality of club openings, wherein the club storage depth for aparticular one of the plurality of club openings is a linear distancebetween the particular club opening and the associated terminalstructure; a plurality of external club receptacles provided on one orboth of the pair of flat sides and located external of the interiorspace of the golf bag body; wherein the golf bag includes a plurality ofdifferent club storage depths, the club storage depths configured suchthat for each club opening a club head of the designated club positionedin the club opening is positioned at a different height than and isspaced-apart in a height direction from the club heads of designatedclubs positioned in neighboring club openings; wherein a separationbetween the plurality of club openings is configured such that contactis prevented between the club heads of clubs having relatively lowerclub head heights and the club shafts of neighboring clubs havingrelatively higher club head heights.
 2. The golf bag of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more inner pockets within the flat sides of the golfbody.
 3. The golf bag of claim 1, further comprising a strap attached toa rear side of the golf bag body for carrying the bag.
 4. The golf bagof claim 1, further comprising two utility compartments located adjacenta front side of the golf bag on opposing sides of the golf bag.
 5. Thegolf bag of claim 1, further comprising a putter well located adjacent afront side of the golf bag, the putter well having a raised collarconfigured to limit rotational movement of a head of a putter positionedwithin the putter well.
 6. The golf bag of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of club identification markers, each associated with arespective one of the plurality of club receptacles and club openings.7. The golf bag of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of retentionelements, each associated with a respective one of the plurality of clubreceptacles and configured to limit or prevent movement of a club headof the club received within the club receptacle.
 8. The golf bag ofclaim 1, wherein each of the club receptacles is one of a cavityextending into the body of the golf bag, a cavity raised relative to anouter surface of the golf bag and a pocket attached to the outer surfaceof the golf bag.